Abstract: This study assesses the psychological consequences of
participation in a mental health study among people recently exposed
to the September 11 attacks. Using cross-sectional telephone
surveys, we interviewed random samples of English-speaking or
Spanish-speaking adults living in New York City during the attacks
1 year after this event. Altogether, 2,368 people completed the
surveys, including a random sample of 1,173 respondents who
received mental health services after the attacks. Results indicated
that 15% of New Yorkers found some of the survey questions
stressful, whereas 28% of those who sought treatment found this to
be the case. However, less than 2% reported being upset at survey
completion, and among these persons, only four people consented to
speak to the study’s mental health consultant. Although the majority
of those expressing adverse reactions had sought postdisaster treatment,
even among these subjects, only 3% were still upset at survey
completion, and 2% wanted more information about counseling
services. In addition, more than 70% of participants expressed
positive sentiments about survey participation. Predictive models
indicated that respondents who met study criteria for posttraumatic
stress disorder, depression, or anxiety were more likely to find
questions stressful, with people having posttraumatic stress disorder
or depression the most likely to be upset and to consent to psychiatric
consultation at completion. We suggest that, with the proper
safeguards, research with persons exposed to a resent mass urban
disaster generally can be conducted safely and effectively.